A system for supporting a borehole junction includes a device configured to deploy a material in a solid state to a downhole location proximate to the borehole junction, and a heat source configured to apply heat to the material to a temperature sufficient to liquefy the material. The liquified material is configured to flow into a formation region adjacent to the borehole junction and consolidate the formation region.

A downhole tool for use in a gas or oil well is provided. The tool comprising a length of tubing having at least one annular sealing means mounted on the outer surface thereof. The annular sealing means, which are formed from a eutectic/bismuth based alloy, serve to secure the downhole tool in position within an oil or gas well during so that the tool can carry out its function.

Terpene-based spotting fluid compositions and processes for freeing differentially stuck pipe are provided. A spotting fluid composition includes a terpene and an acid, such that the acid initiates an exothermic polymerization reaction of the terpene. Another spotting fluid composition includes an invert emulsion having a terpene external phase and a non-miscible organic hygroscopic fluid internal phase. The terpene emulsion spotting fluid composition may be introduced downhole in the vicinity of a portion of a differentially stuck pipe such that the spotting fluid composition contacts a filter cake surrounding the portion of the differentially stuck pipe. An acid may be introduced downhole in the vicinity of a portion of a differentially stuck pipe such that the acid initiates an exothermic polymerization reaction of the terpene of the terpene emulsion spotting fluid composition.

A plug with composite reinforced end(s) and a mostly-bismuth-alloy middle section. At least one end comprises a composite material. One end is a composite, with a bismuth alloy and a particulate material of greater strength than the bismuth material. A plug having both ends of the composite material.

The present invention provides a chemical heater for use in down-hole operations together with methods for operating such in oil/gas wells. The chemical heater comprises a heater body (1) housing a chemical reaction heat source material (2). The heater body (1) has a leading end that, in use, is deployed down-hole first. The heater is provided with ignition means (3), located in a heating zone proximal to the leading end of the heater body, for triggering a chemical reaction in the chemical reaction heat source material located in the heating zone (4, 4a). The heater is further provided with an actuator (5,6) housed within the heater body (1) and configured to urge the chemical reaction heat source material (2) towards the heating zone so as to generate a focused heating pattern.

A wellbore is plugged using a bismuth alloy. The wellbore is arranged so that a liquid bismuth alloy sets with an excess pressure of the plug relative to the borehole fluid pressure along a desired seal height distance.

A method of plugging a hydrocarbon well includes deploying a downhole tool to remove at least a portion of a casing at a section of well to be plugged. Then a plugging material is put downhole onto a blocking device to fill an area to be plugged. An exothermic fluid is added, wherein activation of the exothermic material liquefies the plugging material. Allowing the plugging material and the exothermic fluid to solidify form a cast-in-place plug that fills the section of well to be plugged.

A wellbore is plugged using a bismuth alloy. In one embodiment, the bismuth alloy comprises an alloy of bismuth and tin. In another embodiment, the bismuth alloy comprises an alloy of bismuth and silver. The wellbore can be arranged so that a liquid bismuth alloy sets with an excess pressure of the plug relative to the borehole fluid pressure along a desired seal height distance. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A well cleanup process involves removing an impermeable filter cake from a formation face with thermochemical and chelating agents to allow formation fluids to flow from a reservoir to a wellbore. The method may be used with oil and water-based drilling fluids with varied weighting agents, e.g., bentonite, calcium carbonate, or barite. Such thermochemical agents may involve two salts, e.g., NO.sub.2.sup.− and NH.sub.4.sup.+, which, when mixed together, can generate pressure and heat, in addition to hot H.sub.2O and/or N.sub.2. For example, the thermochemical agents may comprise Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Cs.sup.+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, and/or Ba.sup.2+ with NO.sub.2.sup.− and NH.sub.4.sup.+ with F.sup.−, Cl.sup.−, Br.sup.−, I.sup.−, CO.sub.3.sup.2−, NO.sub.3.sup.−, ClO.sub.4.sup.−, and/or .sup.−OH. The thermochemical agents in combination with a chelator such as EDTA can removed the filter cake after 6 hours with a removal efficiency of 89 wt % for the barite filter cake in water based drilling fluid, exploiting the generation of a pressure pulse and heat which may disturb the filter cake and/or enhance barite dissolution and polymer degradation.

A plug for plugging wells, and in particular oil and gas wells, is provided. The plug has a plug body formed from an outer metal tube of a reduced thickness. The plug also has reinforcement means, attached to an inner surface of the outer tube, that give the plug a cross-sectional structural strength that is at least equivalent to that of a thicker metal tube. The plug has a central heater receiving void located along the axis of the plug to enable a plug deployment heater to be received therein. Also provided is a plug assembly with a variable cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the assembly is deployed during the plugging of underground conduits.